Bulgaria Starts Talks on Gas Grid Interconnection with Turkey

Bulgaria starts talks for the construction of a gas grid interconnection with Turkey.

Bulgarian Economy and Energy MinisterDragomir Stoynev will meet with Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz on Friday in Sofia, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

The two energy ministers will discuss the establishment of a working group on the project.

The completion of the gas grid interconnection will provide Bulgaria with access to gas fields in Azerbaijan, which are an alternative to gas supplies from Russia.

The gas grid interconnection is a key project for the attempts to achieve a gas supply diversification in Bulgaria and the region, taking into account that the Turkish grid has six entry points for gas supplies.

On March 20, 2012 Bulgaria and Turkey signed a declaration for fast-tracking the project under which the construction of the 75-km Bulgarian section of the pipe should have started in mid-2013.

Due to the delay, the launch of the gas pipe, which is to carry 5 billion cubic meters of gas a year, is expected no earlier than 2019.